marketing

When targeted ads goes terribly wrong

eiriksoLeave a comment

I am reading Wil Wheaton’s excellent blog. In the last post I recieved in my RSS-reader there was a small targeted ad at the bottom. Wil is writing about a charity poker tournament to raise money for the people that are affected by the terrible hurricane Katarina that has destroyed large parts of Louisiana. The ad at the bottom is for hotels in New Orleans…

Seth Godin has had a little discussion on the topic of targeted ads. In most cases they are excellent and give a win-win situation. The reader gets ads that are interesting because they are based on the information that he or she seems to be interested in. The advertiser gets a targeted audience.

I find it completely OK that the ads in a blog are about remote controls if I read a post about exactly that – remote controls.

But, the system is usually automatic. Ads are automatically targeted based on the text on the page. That can lead to very improper ads.

However, in this case the ad does not mess up the fact that Wil is doing a great job raising money for the people that need it right now! Great job.

When targeted ads goes terribly wrong

Gold and satellite dishes

eiriksoLeave a comment

While walking through the eastern part of Oslo I found this interesting shop. The sign says: "Gifts, gold, satellite dishes and lamps". This is a kind of business that don’t comply with the stuff I learned while working for the consulting firm Accenture, nor do it comply with any of the books I have read on the subject of business and marketing. Still, the whole thing is obvious. I had to take a closer look. Just because of the unusual combination. And, that was the extra attention that made this good maketing and a motivation to enter the shop.

bar & lawnmover rental
More of this please! While studying in Stavanger I was involved in making a commercial for a local bar. The thing is, the owner told us that it had to be completely clear in the commercial that this was not only a bar, but a bar and lawnmover rental. Yes, "bar & lawnmover rental". I have never forgotten that business. However, I do not remember the name of the bar, only that somewhere around Stavanger there is an establishment with this unlikely combination.

So, what do you think? If someone opened "Prada designer clothes & DeWalt power tools" along fifth avenue in New York. Would you enter?

Gold and satellite dishes